Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-qs9v7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-12T23:30:52.988Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The demise of elephant sealing at South Georgia, 1960–68

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

A. B. Dickinson
A. B. Dickinson
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's Newfoundland, Canada A1B 3X9.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Uncontrolled scaling for furs and oil began on South Georgia about 1786 and continued sporadically until the early 20th century. From 1909 onward legislation covered licensed killing of male elephant seals Mirounga leonina. This provided for a successful oiling industry that lasted almost 60 years, operated by whalers primarily in early spring before the whaling season began. Biological research ensured that quotas in the last decade remained within the carrying capacity of the stocks. High-grade seal oil enhanced revenues from whaling, providing overall 16% of the volume and 19% of the value of total annual catches, with much higher proportions in some seasons. The seal oil industry did not long survive the demise of whaling on South Georgia, finally ending in 1968.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 25 , Issue 154 , July 1989 , pp. 185 - 190
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Annual Sealing Reports, 1910–1965. South Georgia SPRI MS 1228/7/1–65.Google Scholar
Annual Whaling Reports, 1910–1965. South Georgia SPRI MS 1228/1/1–65.Google Scholar
Administrative Officer, 1957. Memorandum: Revision of sealing licence. 6 April 1957. SPRI MS 1228/9/1.Google Scholar
Administrative Officer, 1962a. Telegram 184 to the Colonial Secretary, 13 July 1962. SPRI MS 1228/8/54.Google Scholar
Administrative Officer, 1962b. Telegram 190 to the Colonial Secretary, 20 July 1962. SPRI 1228/8/54.Google Scholar
Administrative Officer, 1964a. Letter 624 to the Governor of the Falkland Islands, 5 November 1964. SPRI MS 1228/8/56.Google Scholar
Administrative Officer, 1964b. Telegram (unnumbered) to the Colonial Secretary, 4 May 1964. SPRI MS 1228/8/51.Google Scholar
Administrative Officer, 1964c. Telegram 189 to the Colonial Secretary, 4 June 1964. SPRI MS 1228/6/51.Google Scholar
Administrative Officer, 1965. Despatch S.G. 614 to the Colonial Secretary, 5 February 1965. SPRI MS 1228/6/51.Google Scholar
Administrative Officer, 1968. Telegram 30 to the Colonial Secretary, 30 January 1968. SPRI MS 1228/8/60.Google Scholar
Binnie, E. B., 1925. Annual Sealing Report, 14 December 1925. SPRI MS 1228/7/15.Google Scholar
Bonner, W. N., 1956. Complete utilization of seal carcasses in South Georgia. SPRI MS 1228/9/5.Google Scholar
British Museum, 1957. Minutes of meeting, 2 July 1957. SPRI MS 1228/9/6.Google Scholar
Colonial Office, 1963. Telegram S.G. 14 to the Governor of the Falkland Islands, 12 July 1963. SPRI MS 1228/6/50.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1962a. Telegram 147 to the Administrative Officer, South Georgia, 19 07 1962.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1962b. Telegram 164 to the Administrative Officer, South Georgia, 2 August 1962. SPRI MS 1228/8/54.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1964. Telegram 191 to the Administrative Officer, South Georgia, 13 July 1964. SPRI MS 1228/6/51.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1965. Letter to Albion Star (South Georgia) Ltd., 24 June 1965. SPRI MS 1228/6/52.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1966a. Telegram 127 to the Administrative Officer, South Georgia. 21 June 1966. SPRI MS 1228/6/52.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1966b. Letter to Peter Simonsen and Lars Musaeus, 23 November 1966. SPRI MS 1228/8/58.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1967a. Telegram 147 to the Administrative Officer, South Georgia [n.d.]. SPRI MS 1228/8/59.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1967b. Telegram 34 to the Administrative Officer, South Georgia [n.d.]. SPRI MS 1228/8/59.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1967c. Letter to Mr Asmund Simonsen, 7 September 1967. SPRI MS 1228/8/59.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1967d. Telegram 135 to the Administrative Officer, South Georgia [n.d.]. SPRI MS 1228/8/59.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1968a. Letter (Sealing licence) to Chr. Salvesen and Co. Ltd., 23 November 1968. SPRI MS 1228/8/60.Google Scholar
Colonial Secretary, 1968b. Letter to William Brandt's Sons and Co. Ltd., 23 November 1968. SPRI MS 1228/8/58.Google Scholar
Compañia Argentina de Pesca, 1954. Letter to the magistrate, South Georgia, 26 01 1954.Google Scholar
Dickinson, A.B., 1984. The development and administration of the elephant sealing industry in South Georgia. M. Phil, thesis, University of Cambridge.Google Scholar
Dickinson, A.B., 1987. A history of sealing in the Falklands Islands and Dependencies, 1764 to 1972. Ph.D. thesis, University of Cambridge.Google Scholar
Elliot, G.H., 1964a. Letter to the Colonial Office, 7 April 1964. SPRI MS 1228/6/51.Google Scholar
Elliot, G.H., 1964b. Memorandum: South Georgia sealing licence, 20 August 1964. SPRI MS 1228/6/51.Google Scholar
Falkland Islands, 1965. Sealing licence. Notice 20. Falkland Islands Gazette, 74(4):21.Google Scholar
Falkland Islands, 1966. Sealing licence. Notice 3. Falkland Islands Gazette, 75(1):1.Google Scholar
Falkland Islands, 1967a. Sealing licence. Falkland Islands Gazette, 76(6):80.Google Scholar
Falkland Islands, 1967b. Sealing licence. Notice 1. Falkland Islands Gazette, 76(1):1.Google Scholar
Falkland Islands. 1971a. Sealing licence. Notice 12. Falkland Islands Gazette, 80(3):16.Google Scholar
Falkland Islands, 1971b. Sealing licence. Notice 15. Falkland Islands Gazette, 80(5):39.Google Scholar
Falkland Islands, 1972. Sealing licence. Notice 7. Falkland Islands Gazette, 81 (6):33.Google Scholar
Falkland Islands, 1975. Falkland Islands Dependencies Conservation Ordinance. Falkland Islands Gazette, 84(4):17–21.Google Scholar
Greenpeace, 1982. Outlaw whalers. Washington, Greenpeace International.Google Scholar
Headland, R.K., 1984. The island of South Georgia. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Hirabayashi, S., 1963. Letter ‘Application for sealing licence’ to Administrative Officer, South Georgia, 10 October 1963. SPRI MS 1288/8/55.Google Scholar
Norsk Hvalfangst-Tidende, 1964. Whaling ships in activity in the Antarctic, season 1964/65. Norsk Hvalfangst-Tidende 53(12):325–331.Google Scholar
Pettit, R.G., 1963a. Letter to Chr. Salvesen and Co., 13 June 1963. SPRI MS 1228/6/50.Google Scholar
Pettit, R.G., 1963b. Letter to Albion Star (Southampton) Ltd., 11 July 1963. SPRI MS 1228/6/50.Google Scholar
Pettit, R.G., 1963c. Letter to Chr. Salvesen and Co. Ltd., 11 July 1963. SPRI MS 1228/6/50.Google Scholar
Tonnessen, J.N. and Johnsen, A.D. 1982. The history of modern whaling. Hurst, C., London.Google Scholar
Vaughan, R. W., 1964. Report on the Sealing industry at South Georgia, 1963/64 season. SPRI MS 1228/7/59.Google Scholar
Vaughan, R.W., 1965. Report on the Sealing industry at South Georgia, 1964/65 season. SPRI MS 1228/7/6a.Google Scholar